Running Out Of TIme?

Running Out of Time?

"Since time is the one immaterial object which we cannot influence--neither speed up nor slow down, add to nor diminish--
it is an imponderably valuable gift." -Maya Angelou

Do you constantly feel like you are on overload? Do you tell
yourself that you'll spend more time doing something that's
important but not urgent “when things slow down a little” or
“after we finish this next big project”?

Being technically proficient in your business or profession will
only get you so far … especially if you feel like you're on a
runaway treadmill. To gain some control and sanity, you may need
to organize your time differently.

Most business owners, executives, and professionals spend their
time in four ways:

Free Time – time to rest, relax, and rejuvenate
Creative Time – time to generate new ideas
Delivery Time – time to deliver the product/service that is core
to your work
Support Time – time to handle the “behind the scenes” or
administrative functions necessary to support you in getting the
results you desire.
These four areas of time are very connected, so what you do with
one dimension of time affects the others. Have you ever noticed
how taking Free Time to rest and rejuvenate enables you to come
back to your work with a fresh perspective…one that enables you
to be much more creative?

Creative Time enables you to work ON your business. It's tough to
have an objective vantage point when you're “in the trenches” all
the time. Taking a step back to see the “big picture” is
essential if you want to generate fresh ideas and find new
solutions to challenges.

Delivery Time enables you to work IN your business. You may
already spend much of your time here. The key is to remember that
it doesn't matter how much Delivery Time you spend if what you're
delivering isn't what matters most to you or your company…and if
what you deliver and how you deliver it is not valued by the
recipient of your products or services. Direction and priorities
are generally determined during Free Time and Creative Time .

Part of your success requires spending some Support Time tending
to details – responding to email and phone calls, reading,
writing, reviewing, evaluating, filing, etc. Of course, some of
this can be delegated to others. If you ignore the details that
support your core deliverable, it will affect your ability to be
productive or deliver the best quality product or service. In
addition, you will not feel like you can take Free Time if the
unhandled details are constantly nagging at you.

Without Free Time , stress and overload set in. Then it's
difficult to be in a frame of mind to take Creative Time . This
pushes you to work harder IN your business ( Delivery Time ),
which results in taking a reactive rather than a proactive
approach to managing challenges. This rarely results in the best
quality results, and often adds to burnout.

Look at the diagram below and note that it is a continuous
circle. When working properly, the process keeps repeating
itself…unless you get stuck in one spot on the continuum.

Changing Habits

Choosing to live a more thoughtful, self-directed life in the
midst of a society that seems to thrive on a frenzied pace
requires determination, planning, and self-discipline. According
to behavior change experts, you have to believe in the values
behind the change, or it will not stick.

For example, if you promise your family that you will work less
hours, but you're not mentally committed to such a change, your
odds of maintaining your commitment drop. It's difficult to
sustain such a promise if the reward for working longer hours is
greater than the reward for getting home earlier.

G. Alan Marlatt, professor of psychology and director of the
Addictive Behaviors Research Center at the University of
Washington, studies people who are successful in long-term
change. Marlatt says that it gets easier after the first 90 days.
At that point, the chances of a relapse drop from 85 percent to
20-30 percent. He also points out that adding a new behavior is
easier than trying to give something up.

Marlatt's tips:

• Self monitor. If you're relying on internal motivation (as
opposed to having a coach or an addiction counselor), keep a
daily chart of progress for the first 90 days. Note what needs to
be fine-tuned. If you feel you might slip, make note — either in
a journal or a note card or a bold message on your morning mirror
— to get back on track.

• Social support. Find someone or a group of people trying to
make similar changes. Meet with them or e-mail them or join a
chat room. If you're not into strangers, get a comrade, coach or
family member to be your support.

• Keep your rewards high. New clothes for that lost weight? A
weekend away for that pared down to-do list? That keeps
motivation high. Success leads to success.

• Watch your self-criticism. If people go off course, the
tendency is to say, "Oh, this proves I have no willpower." That's
self-defeating and it undermines motivation.

• Remind yourself of goals. What is it you're trying to change?
Some people carry reminder cards that list what they want to
accomplish. One man trying to quit smoking simply carried a photo
of his young son.

• Have a plan for when obstacles arise. How will you get back on
track? It's important not to overreact but to regroup. "I missed
two days of exercise, but I won't miss a third."

The biggest trigger for reverting to old behaviors is a negative
emotional state, such as feeling angry or depressed, especially
if you turned to your old habit for comfort. Think of what you
could do instead. Call a friend. Take a walk. Sing a song. Do
something that feels good right away…something that will break
the habit you've previously fallen into when in a negative
emotional state.

It's easier to create a new habit than it is to stop doing an old
one. So, instead of saying, “Don't work past 6 PM,” it may work
better to have a specific plan for the evening: “Be home for 6:30
dinner with my family.”

Don't be too harsh on yourself if you backslide – that's normal.
As long as you have some success, you are moving closer to your
goal. Some habits take an average of 12 attempts to quit ,
according to Marlatt. But you need a plan to keep from
backsliding too far. "If you have a flat tire, it doesn't mean
you're not going to finish the trip," Marlatt says. "It just
means you've got to fix it up before you continue."

Having a mentor such as a coach can provide structure,
accountability, support and expertise to make changes stick.
Coaches generally schedule a weekly check-in time by phone to
talk about goals and progress.

It's your choice!

I hear clients say, “I just don't have enough time!” The reality
is that we all get 168 hours a week. Challenges arise – not
because you don't have enough time – but when you have not
carefully clarified and stuck with your priorities.

A couple years ago Krispy Kreme donuts moved into the Seattle
area, where I live. I remember reading in the paper about the
Grand Opening frenzy. The drive-through line stretched for
blocks, and some people drove hundreds of miles, only to wait
several hours in line to sink their teeth into a Krispy Kreme
donut! There were even police officers hired to control the
Krispy Kreme gridlock that ensued! So how is it that we have time
to stand in line several hours for a box of donuts, but we don't
have time to do a gazillion other things that are on our to-do
lists? Perhaps it's because Krispy Kreme serves comfort food.
People are emotionally hungry, and the donuts fill a hole.

The bottom line is this: when something is really important to
you – when you feel motivated by your inner desires – you will
make the time for it! It's difficult to sustain such things as a
promise of getting home earlier if the reward for doing so does
not outweigh the motivation for staying later at the office to
work.

I've recently returned from being away from my office for nine
days. Re-entry is challenging because of the backlog of e-mails,
phone calls, mail, etc. It's easy to fall into the trap of
working longer hours to get caught up. But if the truth be told,
I'll never be caught up. There will always be something else that
I could do, no matter how many hours I work . I've found that
when I schedule time for my top priorities, I am much more
productive. Sure, some things don't get done, but when I plan
ahead, the things that do get done are the things that really
matter. By being more productive during the day, I can get the
same amount of work done and leave my office earlier. When I
neglect to do my planning, productivity goes way down, stress
goes up, and so do my work hours!

-- Now is a great time to assess how you spend your time, based
on your goals, talents, and passions! --

There's no magic formula as to how much time each of us should
spend in the four areas of time mentioned earlier. That is
determined by your goals, talents, and passions. Perhaps you are
most gifted and have the most fun when creating new ideas. You
may choose to carve out more creative time and delegate much of
the refinement and delivery to someone else. Or if you find your
greatest gifts and passions are in delivery or managing the
details, you may choose to spend minimal time with the creative
elements of your work.

Not sure what the best fit is for you or others you work with?
Check out these excellent assessment tools:

* The DiSC Profile [
http://www.orgcoach.net/products ools.html#discprofile ] enables
you to learn more about your behavioral style, and to understand
and appreciate differences in others.

* Team Dimensions Profile [
http://www.orgcoach.net/products ools.html#td ] enables you to
discover which dimensions of a project are the best fit with your
natural talents and working style. With this information, you and
others you work with may decide to rework who is responsible for
different parts of a project.

* Tired of running out of time? Bridge the time gap! The Time
Mastery Profile [ http://www.orgcoach.net/products ools.html#tm
] can help you identify your biggest time wasters and get
concrete solutions to your most difficult challenges with
managing time.

-- Are you on the right path? --

Answer these questions (in writing!) to determine if you are on
the path you choose.

* Do your daily actions reflect what you want for your life?
Identify what you enjoy the most and what you're most naturally
gifted at doing.

* What do you choose to delegate or say no to so you can spend
most of your time doing what you're best at and enjoy the most?
(Visit: http://www.orgcoach.net/delegation.html for tips on
delegation.)

* Imagine what you want your life to be like a year from now.
What will be possible when you organize your time differently so
you can spend it the way you want?

* As you review the four areas of time, where do you choose to
spend more time or less time than you currently spend? Write
down what you choose for each area.

EXAMPLE:
Free Time – One additional day a week
Creative Time – An additional ½ day a week
Delivery Time – Keep the same as now
Support Time – Delegate enough of this so I can spend more time
in Free and Creative Time. Refine processes and systems so I can
be most efficient with the tasks I will manage for myself.

Now that you are clear about how you choose to shift the way you
spend time, what is the next step you will take to put this into
action? What will support you in making this happen?

Contact me at kathy@orgcoach.net to request a complimentary
coaching call if you'd like to explore the possibility of working
with me as your coach. There is no cost and no obligation for the
first call. Then we can both determine if we are the "right fit"
for working together. If not, I can refer you to a trusted
coaching colleague.